Vermont's Agency of Agriculture is already getting reports of a surging tick population and now they're gearing up to get a real count.

Share

Shares

Copy Link

{copyShortcut} to copy
Link copied!

Updated: 6:00 PM EDT May 14, 2018

Hide TranscriptShow Transcript

WEBVTT ARRIVED. NBC 5 FIRST ALERT METEOROLOGIST ERIC WEGLARZ REPORTS. REPORTER: THE ARRIVAL OF NICE WEATHER HAS PEOPLE SPENDING MORE TIME OUTDOORS. BUT THAT ALSO COMES WITH A GREATER RISK OF TICK EXPOSURE. >> WE ALWAYS WORRY ABOUT TICKS. WE FEEL FOR LITTLE BUMPS. REPORTER: VERMONT’S AGENCY OF AGRICULTURE S ALREADY GETTING REPORTS OF A SURGING TICK POPULATION THIS SPRING. NOW, THEY ARE GEARING UP TO GET A REAL COUNTS. >> WE’VE SEEN AN ALMOST DOUBLING FROM 2016 TO 2017 IN THE NUMBER OF TICKS WE’VE COLLECTED IN OUR SURVEY. >> WHAT YOU SEE REPRESENTS A LOT OF HOPES AND DREAMS. REPORTER: PREVIOUS SURVEYS ONLY CAPTURED A FEW SNAPSHOTS OF THE TICK POPULATION FROM YEAR TO YEAR. >> WE HAVE BEEN WORKING TO IDENTIFY 48 DIFFERENT SURVEILLANCE SITES. REPORTER: BUT A NEW PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE AGENCY OF AGRICULTURE AND THE HEAL DEPARTMENT -- >> WHERE THE BRUSH IS THICKER. REPORTER: AIMS TO GET BETTER NUMBERS. >> WE HOPE TO SEE IF THERE ARE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN DISEASES CHANGING OR MOVING AROUND THE STATE. REPORTER: IN THEIR WHITE COVERALLS, AND ARMED SENSORS FOR COLLECTING WEATHER DATA, AND A HOST OF OTHER EQUIPMENT -- >> WE ARE EXCITED BECAUSE IT WILL SHOW POPULATION TRENDS OVER TIME. REPORTER: THE TEAMS WILL CALM THE GROUND FOR TICKS ACROSS THE STATE TRADE >> HOPEFULLY WE’LL , DO THIS FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AND GET AN IDEA OF WHAT THE TICK POPULATION IS DOING. REPORTER: ONE CURRENT METHOD IN TRACKING TICK MOVEMENT IS TO LOOK FOR INCREASES IN TICK-BORNE ILLNESSES LIKE LYME DISEASE. BUT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WANTS TO KNOW WHERE TICKS ARE BEFORE PEOPLE GET SICK. >> WE CAN IDENTIFY CHANGES IN THE TICK POPULATION OR THE DISEASE IN THE TICKS BEFORE IT REALLY STARTS TO IMPACT HUMAN HEALTH, THEN MAYBE WE CAN TAILOR SOME OF OUR PUBLIC HEALTH MESSAGING TO THAT PARTICULAR LOCATION AND GIVE PEOPLE SOME MORE INFORMATION TO TAKE THE PROPER STEPS TO PROTECT THEMSELVES. REPORTER: IN BERLIN, I’M METEOROLOGIST ERIC WEGLARZ, NBC 5 NEWS STEWART: THANKS. BE CAREFUL OUT THERE. THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IS LOOKING FOR YOUR HEALTH AS THEY LAUNCH A BRAND NEW PROGRAM THIS YEAR. PROJECT LONE STAR AIMS TO FIND LONE STAR TICKS. THEY HAVE BEEN SIGHTED IN EVERY STATE SURROUNDING VERMONT. THE TICK ACTS DIFFERENTLY THAN OTHER SPECIES AND CARRIES A DIFFERENT SET OF DISEASES NOT COMMONLY FOUND IN THE STATE. >> WE’VE GOTTEN REPORTS FROM THE PUBLIC THAT THEY MIGHT HAVING COUNTERED THIS CHICK -- TICK. THIS YEAR, WE’RE GOING TO BE LAUNCHING A NEW PROJECT TO SORT OF LEVERAGE PEOPLES INTEREST IN TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES. STEWART: IF VERIFIED, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT PLANS TO SEARCH THE AREA USING SIMILAR METHODS AGENCY OF AGRICULTURE CREWS WILL USE TO COLLECT TICKS THIS YEAR

Vermont group seeking help with tick census

Vermont's Agency of Agriculture is already getting reports of a surging tick population and now they're gearing up to get a real count.